Krampus Offers A Holiday Celebration With A Darker Side In Market Square

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A new kind of holiday experience awaited unsuspecting visitors to the Market Square Christmas Village.

Lurking in the shadows amid the sparkle and merriment, creatures that appear to be the antithesis of Christmas.

For many, it was their first glimpse of Krampus, the horned anthropomorphic figure known in Germanic folklore at St. Nicholas' counterpart.

"Krampus is a hundred year old European holiday and what happened is – we started doing it in Pittsburgh," Mark Menhold told KDKA's Kym Gable.

Mark wore an elaborate Krampus costume at 'Krampusnacht,' Pittsburgh's first-ever Krampus celebration.

Mark is also known for his creative work with Pittsburgh's popular Zombie Fest.

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"It's a little Halloween, a little bit of Christmas.  Santa Claus rewards the good children, and Krampus punishes the naughty ones. "

Krampusnacht is traditionally celebrated in many European countries on the Eve of St. Nicholas.

The Krampus character has gained recognition recently after a few Hollywood films last year.

Over one hundred people turned out for the event, which was followed by a "Krampus Crawl," a pub crawl that made its way to several downtown bars and taverns.